Mending Bridges
by MrsWyle
Summary: COMPLETE! Follows Abby and Carter over a long period of time. It's a Carby!
1. Bad News

OK- takes place three months after Carter's return from Africa. He and Abby have managed to co-exist without too much pain but now Abby needs a friend to lean on.  
  
After she hung up the phone she stared at it. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. She didn't understand.  
  
'It's a mistake,' she muttered to herself. 'It has to be a mistake.' But she knew it wasn't. Some part of her knew it was true.  
  
She pressed her lips together and willed herself not to cry. She couldn't cry here, not at work. Especially not with him around. She didn't want him to think she was crying over him.  
  
She needed to talk to someone. Her mind raced, listing her friends. Susan? No. Susan had never fully understood. Luka? No. He didn't understand either. No one had ever understood this.except for him. But Abby couldn't talk to him. She wouldn't.  
  
She stood up and walked across the lounge to her locker. She opened it and realized she didn't actually need anything from it. She was just avoiding reality. She found herself remembering how nice it felt to have someone there for you. He had always dropped everything ran to her whenever she needed him. He probably still would.  
  
*****************  
  
By the time she left the lounge she had decided to talk to him about it. She had to talk to someone. She was surprised that her pride wasn't stopping her. 'I guess pride doesn't matter anymore,' she thought to herself.  
  
He was standing behind the admin desk, filing charts. God, she missed him.  
  
"Carter?" she asked. He looked up.  
  
"I'm off," he said and turned back to the charts.  
  
"Good." This response seemed to surprise him and he looked up again. "Can I talk to you?" Abby asked softly, once again fighting back tears. Carter's expression changed from surprise to concern.  
  
"Is everything OK?" he asked. He could see the answer in her face. "Let me just grab my coat," he said.  
  
******************  
  
Abby sat stirring her coffee as Carter stared at her across the table. "What's wrong, Abby?" his voice full of concern. 'Not now,' she thought. 'Don't make me miss you right now.' She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "You're the only one I can talk to. No one else would understand."  
  
Carter reached across the table and gently took her hand in his. "Whatever it is, it'll be OK."  
  
She shook her head. Nothing would ever be OK again. Finally she let a tear fall. It rolled slowly down her cheek and down under her chin. She forced herself to meet his eyes. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.  
  
"It's OK. Take you're time." Carter rubbed her hand with his thumb.  
  
She tried again. This time the words came out. Immediately she wished they hadn't. Her saying it had made it true.  
  
"Eric's dead," she whispered. 


	2. Small Comforts

Carter had offered Abby a ride back to her apartment. She accepted. She didn't want to walk home alone in the rain. The drove in silence, except for the radio. It was a comfortable silence. The silence of old friends.  
  
Carter pulled up next to the curb in front of Abby's building and turned off the engine. He glanced at her and decided to walk her to the door.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said as Abby unlocked the door. "I'll tell Romano you're not feeling very well. I'll tell him you won't be in for a few days." Abby said nothing. Carter turned to leave.  
  
When he was halfway down the hall he heard her call him back. He turned around. She looked so small, so scared. He wanted to take her into his arms and make everything go away. But he couldn't.  
  
"Will you."she started. "I don't wanna be alone right now," she confessed, her eyes on the floor.  
  
Carter walked over to her slowly. "Do you want me to stay here?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, not moving her eyes. He put his arm around her waist and guided her into the apartment and sat down on the couch. Carter wanted to ask questions. He wanted to know how.and why. But he didn't have to ask.  
  
"It was suicide," Abby said, staring at the blank TV screen. "He shot himself in the head. Maggie said he got the gun from a friend of his." She paused. Maggie found him this morning. He'd been staying with her and she said everything was fine. I talked to him two days ago and he said everything was fine. He said he was gonna be OK." Abby dissolved into tears.  
  
Carter didn't know what to do or if he was allowed to hold her. But he couldn't stand not comforting her when she so obviously needed him.  
  
He pulled her towards him so that her head rested on his chest. He just held her, rocking back and forth slightly, held her and let her cry.  
  
When Abby's crying stopped Carter realized she had fallen asleep. He lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed and slid her shoes and socks off. He tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw him leaving the room.  
  
"Where are you going?" She sounded panicked.  
  
He smiled. "To the couch. I'm pretty tired."  
  
She shook her head. "Stay with me. Please. I know it's a lot to ask, especially after.well, after everything but I need someone right now." She realized this wasn't true. "I need you."  
  
As soon as Carter was in the bed Abby wrapped herself around him. She had always felt safe in his arms and now was no exception. She felt like she had been away for a very long time and had just come.  
  
******************** 


	3. Road Trip

Before I start this chapter, let me just say that the last line of the second chapter was supposed to be "had just come home." I realized I forgot the word "home." Teehee  
  
As the sun climbed through the bedroom window Abby opened her eyes and closed them again right away. "Too bright," she grumbled. She yawned and slowly got out of bed.  
  
She heard someone talking and she froze. It took her a minute to remember that it was Carter. Then she remembered why he was there.  
  
Carter was hanging up the phone as Abby walked into the kitchen. He smiled sympathetically when he saw her.  
  
"I called Romano and told him you won't be in for a few days. Thought I'd save you the trouble of having to talk to that asshole." Abby didn't say anything.  
  
"Um, I made you some coffee," Carter said as he poured some for her.  
  
"Thanks," she said meekly. Carter picked up his coat and headed for the door. Abby followed him. "Thanks for staying here with me," she said.  
  
"Are you going to Minnesota today?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm driving up." There was a pause. "You working today?" she asked him.  
  
He shook his head. "No. I'm on tomorrow morning." There was another pause. "You'll be OK making the trip alone?" he asked. "I bet Susan would go with you if you wanted her to."  
  
Abby looked at him, his large brown eyes full of concern. "I don't." Abby stopped. She was going to say that she didn't want Susan to come with her but she also wanted to hint that she wanted Carter to go. But she couldn't. They were just friends now. Abby had to keep reminding herself that they were just friends.  
  
But Carter read through her. Just like he always did. "Do you want me to go with you?"  
  
Abby couldn't do anything except nod. Once again she noticed tears were running down her face. Carter wiped one away with his thumb. "When do you want to leave?" he asked.  
  
****************  
  
An hour later they were in Carter's jeep heading out of the city. Abby glanced over at him. She wanted to kick herself for not holding on to him.  
She thought about how good he had been to her; coming back from South America just to be with her, flying to Nebraska to help her with Eric's court marshal. She didn't deserve him. And apparently, he agreed. But here he was, once again coming to her rescue. Her knight in shining scrubs.  
  
"You doing alright?" His voice brought her back from her thoughts.  
  
"As well as can be expected," she said. And it was true. She could have been a lot worse. If he weren't there she would be doing a lot worse.  
  
"John, I." she started to say. He looked at her, expecting her to continue. "I just wanna thank you for.for coming with me. For being here." She couldn't look him in the eye.  
  
"That's what friends are for," he said.  
  
"No, it's not." Out of all her friends she had chosen him to lean on. She couldn't imagine going through this with anyone else. "This is going beyond the call of friendship. It's.you've been really great."  
  
She glanced at him and saw that her words had touched him. But he wasn't about to let her know that. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."  
  
"It's something to me," she insisted. "No one has ever been there for me like you have and I didn't think.I didn't think you would be any more after we.after we broke up."  
  
She could feel his eyes dart from the road back to her. "Why? Why would that change? We're friends, Abby. And after all that we've been through together I'd say we're pretty close friends at that."  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't try harder to make things work," she said softly. "I'm sorry I was so wrapped up in myself."  
  
Carter took her hand and squeezed it gently. "It's OK."  
  
She wanted to throw her arms around him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to spend the rest of her life in his arms. But he had said it himself.they were friends.  
  
Thanks for the reviews, guys! Here's a little teaser for you.at the funeral Abby runs into someone she hasn't seen in years. Someone she doesn't even recognize at first. 


	4. Almost Confessions

Carter could tell when they were getting close to their destination by the way Abby suddenly started fidgeting. He sighed. "I can't believe this is happening."  
  
Abby stared at him. Suddenly she became very angry. HE can't believe this was happening? Nothing was happening to HIM. Nothing ever happened to him. Just her. How dare he try to imply that this is a difficult time for him. "Yeah, I can see that this is really difficult for you," she said sarcastically.  
  
She saw the hurt look on his face and immediately regretted her harsh words. She knew that his only concern was her. But the words were out now and she couldn't take them back. He opted not to say anything. He knew she was upset and she had every right to be. But he also knew that he didn't want to upset her anymore.  
  
"Can we stop for lunch?" she asked suddenly after ten minutes of silence. "I'd rather not get to Maggie's hungry. I don't want her to have to feed us." Carter nodded.  
  
***************  
  
"Aren't you gonna eat?" Carter asked. Abby had hardly touched her club sandwich. She shook her head. "You should eat something," he urged. "You didn't have dinner last night and you only had a piece of toast this morning." Abby ignored him.  
  
Carter paid the bill and met Abby outside at the car. She was staring across the road. "See that?" she asked. Carter looked where she was pointing. There was a small playground next to a pavilion. "Eric fell off those monkey bars and broke his arm when he was six. He landed face first in the sand. Six weeks later he was still coughing it up. He made me sign his cast." She smiled slightly at the memory of her beloved brother.  
  
Carter put his arm around Abby's shoulder. "We should get going," he said. "Don't want Maggie to start worrying." Abby nodded and climbed into the jeep.  
  
***************  
  
Carter sat on the back porch, drinking coffee. Abby and Maggie were inside, talking about funeral plans. Carter felt pretty uncomfortable sitting there, saying nothing so he had excused himself, said he needed some fresh air.  
  
He heard the door open behind him but he didn't turn around. "Sorry I abandoned you," he said. Abby sat down beside him.  
  
"That's OK. I should have realized that this would be uncomfortable for you. I shouldn't have asked you to come."  
  
"You didn't," he reminded her. "I offered."  
  
She nodded. "Maggie and I don't feel much like eating but there's a pizza place around the corner if you want."  
  
He shook his head. He wasn't hungry either. He felt terrible. Eric was dead and all Carter could think about was how much he missed Abby. He wanted to be there for her but as more than a friend. But he knew she'd never taken him back.  
  
Abby reached her hand up and plucked a piece of fluff out of Carter's hair. Her hand lingered slightly at the back of his neck before she pulled it away quickly, as if she had burned herself. Carter looked at her quizzically. "Sorry," she said.  
  
"For what?" She couldn't answer. She didn't know the answer. She wasn't sorry for touching him. She wished she hadn't stopped. But she didn't want to make him uncomfortable.not after all he'd done for her.  
  
Carter took her hand in his. "I know this is really not the best time.it's actually completely inappropriate but.." He paused. "Abby, I."  
  
The door Abby and Maggie's tear-stained face appeared. "John, Abby, I need you to come down to the funeral home with me." 


	5. Strange Encounters

Abby stared at her brother's face and tried not to throw up. Cliché as it was, he wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him, try to wake him up. He looked so handsome. Maggie wanted to bury him in his uniform, despite the fact that he was no longer in the military. And the make-up artist had done an excellent job. Abby could only barely see the stitches on his temple where the bullet had gone into his head.  
  
She ran her hand along the rim of the coffin. "Why'd you do it, Eric? You knew we loved you."  
  
Carter came up behind her. "He looks really handsome, Abby."  
  
"Yeah. He does."  
  
"How's Maggie doing?"  
  
Abby thought about this for a minute. Her mother had been surprisingly calm and collected. She doubted if Maggie had accepted what had happened. "She's fine. I think this will all hit her when the service starts but I think she'll be OK."  
  
"How are you doing?" he asked.  
  
'Why does he keep asking me that?' she thought to herself. 'Doesn't he know? His brother died too.' "I'm gonna be all right," she said. "Eventually, I'll be all right."  
  
***************  
  
There was nothing special about the service. It wasn't bad. One of Eric's military buddies gave the usual speech about how "Eric was a great guy." but it didn't sound to Abby as if he had really known her brother. Well, at least not as well as she had.  
  
After the eulogy, everyone went outside to the freshly dug grave where the coffin was waiting. Abby, Carter, and Maggie sat together in the front and watched as Eric was lowered slowly into the ground.  
  
When the coffin hit the bottom and the final 'thud' was heard, Abby burst into tears. She hid her head in her hands and she felt Carter's arm wrap itself around her shoulder. She buried her face in his shirt.  
  
As they were walking away from the grave, Maggie said, "My son's gone." No body knew what to say. She stopped suddenly and grabbed Abby's arm. "Promise me," she said with tears pouring out of her eyes. "Promise me that you won't die until after I do. I can't lose both my children."  
Abby just stared at her mother for a moment and then said, "I promise, Mom. I swear." They practically collapsed into each other's arms.  
  
Carter wandered away, giving the grieving mother and daughter time alone. He stared over at the spot where Eric had just been buried. He saw a man he didn't recognize standing, staring at the grave. He didn't give it too much thought. He hadn't known anyone at the funeral apart from Abby and Maggie.  
  
Once the embrace had finished Carter rejoined them. They had almost reached the car when Abby realized she had forgotten her purse. "I'll be right back," she said and headed back towards the grave.  
  
She narrowed her eyes as she saw the unfamiliar man standing over her brother's grave. She picked up her purse from beside the chair she had been sitting in.  
  
"Can I help you?" she asked, slightly annoyed that this man hadn't introduced himself like all of the other people she hadn't known. As she looked closer she realized that this man was quite a bit older than Eric. He was tall and looked strong, despite his age. His hair, though grey, was thick and his eyes were filled with sadness.a sadness that was caused by more than a single death. Perhaps he had been his commanding officer.  
  
"S-s-sorry," he stammered. "I just.I was just saying good-bye." he looked up and his eyes met hers.  
  
"Did you know Eric?"  
  
"Not very well. I hadn't seen him in years."  
  
Abby expected the man to elaborate but he didn't. So she tried another tactic. "I'm Abby," she said, extending her hand. "Eric's sister."  
  
"Abby?" He said the name as if it were some foreign word he'd never heard before. Then, suddenly his face lit up.  
  
"I'm sorry," Abby said. "I still don't know who you are."  
  
The man smiled and a tear rolled down his cheek. "Abby," he said. "Abby."  
  
Keep reviewing, guys! I love it! I tried to make this chapter end in a bit of a cliffhanger but I'm not sure it's suspenseful. The more you tell me you want the next chapter the fast it'll be posted. Also, I'd be very interested to see if you can guess who the mystery man is. I hope it's not too obvious. ( 


	6. Realizations

Yay! Thanks for reviewing guys! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Carter picked at his nails as he and Maggie stood leaning against the car. 'What do you say to a woman whose son just died?' he asked himself. But Maggie spoke first.  
  
"I'm glad you're here, John," she said. "For Abby. She really needs someone right now."  
  
Carter nodded. "I don't really know why she picked me," he said. He'd been wondering that since she asked him to talk. She said he was the only one who understood but understood what? About her family? What it's like to lose a brother?  
  
"She loves you. She'd kill me if she knew I was telling you but she still really loves you."  
  
Carter said nothing. He wanted to believe it. But it couldn't be true. After all they went through right before they broke up.but then again, he still loved her, didn't he? Or did he just always want what he couldn't have?  
  
Maggie spoke again. "Eric was such a happy kid," she said. "And he loved Abby so much. He followed her everywhere from the moment he could crawl." Carter looked at Maggie and realized that she wasn't really talking to him. Just remembering out loud.  
  
"She put up with it though. I thought she get sick of it after awhile but she didn't. I walked into her room once when she was twelve and Eric was eight and she was painting his toenails. Then he turned around to look at me and I saw that his face was covered in her make-up. He looked like a drag queen. So I did the logically thing.I got my camera." She laughed softly.  
  
After another pause Carter realized that Abby had been gone for five minutes. "I'm gonna go see if Abby's OK," he said.  
  
**************  
  
Carter saw Abby talking to the man he had seen before. He started to walk faster. He could tell from Abby's stance that she uncomfortable in the situation she was in.  
  
"Hi, everything OK?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, everything's fine," Abby said with a tight-lipped smile. They both turned their eyes to the man.  
  
"I probably shouldn't have come here," he said. "But when I read about it in the paper.well, I guess I never thought I'd live to see this day but it hit me harder than I expected. I just." he sighed. "I just wanted to say good-bye to my son."  
  
Carter looked at Abby, confused. She seemed just as confused as he was. "I'm sorry," she said, "you must be mistaken. Eric never knew his father.our father," she corrected herself.  
  
The man smiled sadly. "I'm not mistaken. It's not a very common last name, is it? Wysenski. And he was bipolar. It said in the paper."  
  
"What's your name?" Abby asked him.  
  
"Larry?"  
  
Abby and Carter turned at the sound of Maggie's voice. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open.  
  
"My name's Larry. Larry Wysenski," Larry said to Abby.  
  
"Abby, you remember your father," Maggie said dryly.  
  
Once again Carter felt out of place. "Um, I'll be in the car," he said and turned to leave.  
  
"I'm coming with you," Abby said and turned away.  
  
*******************  
  
Abby lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She was angry. She was angry with her mother for not letting her father take her away. She was angry with her father for not fighting harder. She was angry with God for taking her brother away. And she was angry with Carter.but she wasn't sure why.  
  
She closed her eyes and saw her father's sad face again. She probably shouldn't have been so harsh. She remembered him tossing her up in the air, teaching her to ride a bike, holding her up so she could place the star on top of the Christmas tree.  
  
He had been a good father. And she couldn't really blame him for leaving. He tried to take her with him though. This was new information. Apparently her parents had fought for custody and he lost. Abby didn't exactly understand how that was possible but she managed to accept it. During the reception she managed to find a quiet place to talk with her parents.  
  
Her eyes flew open as she realized why she was mad at Carter. "He doesn't love me," she whispered to herself. "He never loved me." Just the then to door opened.  
  
Carter's head appeared. "Abby.can we talk?" 


	7. Happy Beginnings

Abby sat up in her bed and cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah, I guess," she said.  
  
Carter came in and closed the door behind him. He looked around for a chair but there weren't any. So he sat on the edge of Abby's bed. "Big day, huh?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," Abby said.  
  
"So. . .um, are you gonna keep in touch with your dad?" Carter asked, looking at Abby. She didn't look back.  
  
"I dunno. Maybe. I guess so. I dunno." Abby's mind was reeling. Had he really come in here at mid-night to talk about her father?  
  
"I think you should," he said. "It seems like he really loves you and missed you a lot." Carter's eyes had not left Abby's face but she still couldn't look at him. She was afraid he'd be able to see the love in her eyes.  
  
"Yeah well, he shouldn't have left."  
  
Carter looked down at his hands. He knew she was talking about him too. "Leaving isn't easy, Abby. Especially when you're leaving someone you love. But sometimes it's the only thing you can do." He lifted his eyes to her face again. "And in your father's case, I think he regrets it." Carter paused, scared to say what he wanted to. But he did anyway. "I know I do."  
  
Finally, Abby's eyes met Carter's. "You do what, John?"  
  
"Regret leaving you. I needed time. . .but I wish I hadn't left. I wish I'd stay and we could have worked things out."  
  
"Do you think we could have?" Abby's heart was beating faster. 'Say it,' she thought to herself. 'Say you still love me.'  
  
"I don't know. But I would have liked to try," his eyes filled with tears but he held them back.  
  
"I would have liked that too," Abby said, taking hold of his hand. She leaned forward to kiss him but stopped herself.  
  
He looked at her, puzzled. "Why'd you stop?" he asked her. But he didn't let her answer. He kissed her gently, and ran his hand through her hair. When he pulled away, Abby started to silently cry. "What's wrong?" he asked her, holding her face in his hands. She didn't answer. She just threw her arms around him and cried.  
  
*******************  
  
Carter woke up and yawned. He looked over at Abby, sleeping next to him. He smiled and kissed her forehead. She opened her eyes and smiled back at him. "Hi," he whispered. She stretched her head up and kissed him softly on the mouth. Then she frowned. "What?" he asked.  
  
"I feel guilty," she said, tracing the outline of his face with her finger.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Being happy. Right now. I should be sad. . .and I am sad but happy too. I missed you."  
  
"I missed you to. And don't feel guilty. You're entitled to be happy." Carter wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Besides, just 'cause you're happy right now doesn't mean you won't get sad again or miss Eric. You will. For the rest of your life you're gonna miss him."  
  
"Yeah." She snuggled against him and fell back asleep.  
  
*********************  
  
Carter and Abby's drive back to Chicago was slightly more interesting than the drive to Minnesota. They talked about everything. Carter told Abby all about Africa and Abby told Carter about her decision to go back to med school.  
  
"I'm proud of you, Abby. I really am," he said as they pulled up in front of her building.  
  
"I'm proud of me too," she said.  
  
Carter walked Abby to her door. "You gonna come in?" she asked, biting her lip.  
He thought about it. "I have to work in the morning," he said.  
  
Abby looked hurt. "OK," she said and turned to go inside.  
  
"You didn't let me finish," he said, stopping her. "I have work in the morning so as long as you don't mind me making lots of noise in the morning."  
  
Abby grinned and led Carter to the bedroom.  
  
I'm not sure where to take the story from here. If anyone has any ideas. . . please let me know. Thanks. 


	8. Unexpected Surprise

I don't read spoilers so nothing in this chapter has anything to do with what has happened or might happen on the show.  
  
Six months later. . .  
  
Carter was sitting at the table when Susan walked into the lounge. "Carter?" she said. No response. He didn't even move. "Carter!" she said louder.  
  
He jumped. "What?" He looked confused.  
  
"You OK?" Susan asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah.I'm fine." He distractedly walked out of the room.  
  
A few seconds later Abby walked in. "What's up with Carter?" Susan asked Abby.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"He's been acting really distracted all day."  
  
Abby sighed. "Yeah, he's been like this for a couple days. I've tried to get him to tell me what's up but he won't. I'm starting to get worried."  
  
"Maybe its just PMS," Susan joked.  
  
Abby rolled her eyes. "I'm serious Susan. I think. . .I think he's gonna dump me again." Abby sat down dejectedly on the couch.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous," Susan said, sitting down next to her. "He was so miserable without you and ever since you got back together he's been walking around this place like he was king of the world. . .until today."  
  
Abby shrugged. "Yeah, well. . ." was all she could think of to say.  
  
*****************  
  
"You have any plans tonight?" Carter asked. He and Abby were walking towards the El station.  
  
Abby considered teasing him, saying she had a date with a sexy Cuban or something but the look on his face made her change her mind. "No, why?"  
  
"I was wondering if you wanted to maybe get dinner or something." He looked embarrassed; as if this was the first time he was asking her out.  
  
"That sounds great. Where were you thinking of going?" Abby asked, hooking her arm through Carter's.  
  
"Some place quiet. We need to talk."  
  
"John, what's wrong?" Abby asked, standing in front of him.  
  
"Nothing, nothing," he said, shaking his head.  
  
"Now what in our history together makes you think you can lie to me?" Abby asked, trying to get a smile out of him. It didn't work.  
  
He just sighed. "I'll tell you at dinner," he said. "Meet me at Anthony's at 8, OK?" Without waiting for a reply he got on the train and was gone.  
  
******************  
  
Abby watched Carter nervously pick at his fettuccine alfredo. "Are you gonna tell me what's going on or are we gonna play twenty questions?" she asked. She was getting slightly annoyed.  
  
Carter put down his fork. "I don't. . . I don't know where to start," he said. He looked like he was going to cry. "I love you so much, Abby and what I'm about to say is gonna change everything forever."  
  
Abby took hold of his hand. "It's not gonna change the fact that I love you too," she said.  
  
"Well. . . when I was in Africa, after I wrote you that letter. . . I, um, met somebody. And I was upset because I still loved you but I thought that it was for the best. . .I was just trying to move on."  
  
"Did you sleep with her?" Abby asked. Carter nodded. "John, I don't care. It's not like you cheated on me or anything. Is that all that's been bothering you? Don't worry about it. It's over, its in the past. All that matters is that we're happy now."  
  
"Well, that's not all," Carter continued. "She. . . she called me a couple days ago. Apparently, she, uh. . .she's in Chicago now and apparently she had a baby. My baby." Carter looked up at Abby. Her mouth was open slightly and her eyes were blank. She sat completely still for a minute and then silently stood up and walked out of the resturant. 


	9. Baby Steps

Abby sat in her dark apartment, tears streaming down her face. She knew what this meant. Carter loved kids and had always wanted a family. Now he could have one. But without Abby. She let out an audible sob and buried her head in her knees. Carter was going to go off, get married, and live happily ever after with. . . whatever her name was and Abby was going to be left alone and miserable.  
  
She heard a knock at her door but she ignored it. "Abby," Carter said through the closed door. "Please open up. I want to talk to you. Please. I'm gonna stand here and knock until you let me in."  
  
Abby stood up and opened the door. "What?" she asked. "You here for your stuff?" she asked bitterly.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, I assume you're gonna go with this girl and her baby and have the family you've always wanted. Congratulations, John." Abby walked into the kitchen.  
  
Carter followed. "Abby. . ."  
  
"Don't 'Abby' me, Carter. I'm sure she's wonderful and perfect. . . and everything else that I'm not."  
  
"Abby, stop it!" Carter yelled. "Will you PLEASE let me talk?" Abby sat down at the table, stunned. "I'm not gonna run off with Debbie but I do want to be a part of this baby's life. She said that I could see her and we could work on a custody arrangement. And I want you to be a part of her life too."  
  
"Me?" Abby asked. "Why?"  
  
"Because you're the most important thing in the world to me. And now this baby is coming into my life, she's gonna be important to me too. So it just figures that I want you to be a big part of her life." Carter helped Abby to her feet and put his arms around his waist. "Things are gonna change, Abby. But that doesn't mean it'll be bad. It'll be hard but we can get through it." He pulled her closer. "We can get through anything," he whispered into her hair.  
  
I know this is a really short update but there'll be more soon. I want to know what you guys think Carter's daughter's name should be. I really like the names Dylan, Jane, Sara, and Morgan. Let me know your thoughts. 


	10. Cry Love

"Are you sure you want me to be here?" Abby asked. She was sitting on the bed, watching Carter comb his hair.  
  
"Of course I do." He put the comb down and stared at his reflection.  
  
"No matter what you do, you're still incredibly good looking so stop worrying about it." Carter laughed. "Seriously, John. . .it's the first time you're meeting your daughter. If you want to do it alone, I'll understand."  
  
Carter took her face in his hands. "I want you to be here." He kissed her briefly. There was a knock on the door. "They're here," Carter said. He bit his lip. Before he opened the door he turned to Abby. "Is it strange that I'm nervous about making a good impression on a one-month- old?" he asked. Abby giggled.  
  
"Hello John," Debbie said, smiling. She turned to Abby. "You must be Abby."  
  
"Um, yeah, that's me." Abby shook Debbie's hand and smiled back.  
  
"Uh, come on it," Carter said, holding the door wide so that Debbie could come it.  
  
She placed the baby carrier of the couch and lifted the baby out of it. "This. . ." she said grinning, "is Sarah Jane Carter."  
  
John and Abby stared at the baby. She was beautiful. Her blue eyes were bright and alert, her nose was tiny, and the wisps of hair on her head were light brown. John reached for her. "Can I. . .?" he asked. Debbie placed the baby in his arms. "She's so small . . .she's so. . ."  
  
"Beautiful," Abby said, looking down at the baby in Carter's arms. "She looks just like you, John."  
  
"She does, doesn't she?" Debbie said proudly. "Except the nose. She has my nose."  
  
Abby nodded in agreement. "Look. You can see flecks of brown in her eyes." The baby gurgled and looked up at the two people smiling down at her.  
  
"I don't think it'll be a good idea to have her switching homes very often while she's so young so I was hoping you could keep her while I get settled," Debbie said, staring intently at Carter.  
  
Carter looked at Abby. "Well, we'll have to go do some serious shopping," he said, grinning.  
  
*****************  
  
Abby yawned. "The baby's crying again," she whispered to John.  
  
"Mmmmmph," he replied. He dragged himself out of bed. "It's two o'clock in the friggin' morning," he muttered.  
  
Abby chuckled softly. "No one said this was gonna be easy."  
  
Twenty minutes later, when Carter still hadn't come back to bed, Abby went to look for him. She found him in Sarah's room, sitting in a rocking chair, singing to her. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. So please don't take my sunshine away." He rose and placed the sleeping baby in her crib.  
  
Abby smiled at him. "You're just a big softy, ya know that?"  
  
Carter pulled her into a hug. "I know." The phone ringing interrupted their hug. And then the baby started crying. "You get the baby, I'll get the phone," Carter said.  
  
Abby walked back into Sarah's room and rocked her, trying to get her to go back to sleep. Just as Abby was placing Sarah into her crib, Carter came in again. He motioned for Abby to follow him into the living room. "Are you OK?" she asked him. "You've gone all white."  
  
Carter walked over to the window and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Then he turned back to Abby. "Uh. . .that was Susan. There was a car crash. Debbie was, um, Debbie was driving home from work and she was hit by a semi and, uh. . .she's dead, Abby."  
  
******************* 


	11. Falling Apart

Sarah crawled across the floor and picked up a piece of popcorn. She popped it in her mouth. "No, no, no, no, no," Abby said, picking up the baby and fishing the popcorn out of her mouth. "Life was so much easier when you couldn't crawl." Abby kissed the squirming ten-month-old on the head and placed her in her playpen.  
  
Larry chuckled, "she sure is willful," he said fondly.  
  
"Just like her father," Abby muttered under her breath. Abby and Carter hadn't spoken more than was absolutely necessary since Debbie died. Her death hit Carter harder than anyone expected, especially him. And it had torn him and Abby apart. But since Abby had grown attached to Sarah she still spent loads of time with her.  
  
Larry had been visiting for a couple of days and had fallen head over heels in love with Sarah. He'd been cuddling her and buying her every single toy he saw. Secretly Abby thought it was sweet but her apartment was becoming increasingly cluttered. She was in the process of clearing toys out of the living room when someone knocked on the door. She opened it. "Hey Carter," she said casually. She still pretended that she didn't ache every time she saw him.  
  
"Hey." Carter looked around the room and smiled at Larry. Sarah smiled and looked up at the sound of her father's voice. He picked her up. "Hey baby girl," he said as he lifted her over his head. He blew a raspberry into her stomach and she shrieked with laughter.  
  
Abby watched silently, trying not to cry. They had been a family. For one short month, they had been a family. And then it was gone. She had been angry at Carter's reaction to Debbie's death. How could he get so upset? He barely knew her. And yet he acted like he'd lost the love of his life. He pushed Abby away and now they weren't even friends.  
  
As Carter turned to leave Larry stood up. "I'll help you get everything to the car, John," he said.  
  
As Larry buckled Sarah into her car seat he studied John's face. He looked miserable. So John was miserable and Abby was miserable. Larry decided he couldn't make things worse than they already were so he spoke. "She loves you, John."  
  
"That's good. Little girls should always love their daddies."  
  
"Not Sarah. Abby. Abby loves you."  
  
"She has a funny way of showing it," Carter said.  
  
"You seem to be showing it in the same way," Larry said.  
  
"Excuse me?" "Well, you're in love with her too, aren't you?"  
  
Carter opened his mouth to deny it but the look on Larry's face stopped him. "Even if I do, I'm not gonna be the one to step up and fix things. I mean, we keep breaking up. That has to mean that we're just not meant to be."  
  
Larry shrugged. "I don't believe in 'meant to be.' I believe in working to make things work."  
  
"You didn't," Carter shot back. "You left. You gave up. Why shouldn't I?"  
  
"Because every single day after I left I regretted it. I loved Maggie with all my heart and leaving her broke me in two," Larry sighed.  
  
"So why didn't you go back?"  
  
"Pride," Larry said. "Which I assume is what's keeping you standing here instead of running upstairs and taking Abby in your arms and never letting her go."  
  
"She wouldn't take me back. I wouldn't take me back." Carter climbed into the jeep.  
  
"You'd be surprised," Larry said as he shut the door.  
  
I can't stop updating! I've become addicted..ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	12. First Words

Abby sat alone in the dark. She'd woken from a nightmare, sweating like crazy. She couldn't remember exactly but she thought the nightmare had been about someone hurting Carter. She wanted to call him. She wanted to make sure he was OK. She hugged her knees to her chest, fighting back tears. She wasn't going to call him. She wouldn't let him know that she needed him.  
  
Her hand, apparently unaware of what her brain was saying, picked up the phone and began dialing Carter's number. "Yeah?" a gruff, sleepy voice answered.  
  
"John?" she whispered.  
  
"Abby? Are you OK?" He was sounding more awake.  
  
"I . . .I . . ." she dissolved into tears.  
  
"I'll be right there," he said and hung up.  
  
****************  
  
"Hi," Abby said as she opened the door.  
  
John put his finger to his lips. Sarah was asleep with her head on his shoulder. John walked past Abby and into Sarah's room so she could sleep in her crib. When he came back out, Abby was crying on the couch. He sat down next to her, afraid to touch her.  
  
"I had a bad dream . . .,"she said. "You were . . .someone one was. . .trying to hurt you and I couldn't stop them." She buried her face in her hands. "All I could do was stand there and scream, 'I love you, John. I love you . . ."  
  
Carter pulled Abby onto his lap and let her cry on his shoulder. "It's OK," he said. "I'm here. No one is gonna take me away from you. I promise."  
  
Abby pulled away a little. "Why did we fall apart, John? What happened?"  
  
Carter shrugged. "I guess I stopped trying. I was scared."  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"Of losing you too. It's a trait I've inherited from my mother," Carter said smiling. "When someone close to you dies, cut everyone else out of your life."  
  
Abby ran her hands through his hair and kissed his forehead. "Are you still scared?"  
  
"Yes," he said. "But I don't care. I don't want to be without you anymore. I can't stand being without you." He kissed her lightly on the lips.  
  
"Good," she said and she kissed him back.  
  
****************  
  
Sarah sat on her floor Abby and Carter relaxed in each other's arms. "She reminds me a lot of you," Carter said, watching his daughter stacking blocks.  
  
"Really?" Abby asked.  
  
"Yeah. She's beautiful, smart, stubborn, willful, graceful, and funny. Just like you." Carter kissed Abby's head.  
  
"I guess I must have rubbed off on her," she giggled.  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
Sarah crawled over the couch, pulled herself up, and held her arms out to Abby. Abby picked her up and cuddled her. "You should be talking by now," she said. Sarah's first birthday was in a month.  
  
"She'll talk when she's ready," Carter said. "And her first word will be 'dada.'"  
  
"Well, duh!" Abby laughed. "What else would it be? She doesn't have a 'mama.'"  
  
"Yes she does," Carter said. "You're her mama."  
  
"But no body calls me that. To her I'm Abby. Just like I am to everyone else." Abby sighed. Sarah looked up at Abby and blew a spit bubble. Abby laughed. "But I guess I'm the closest thing you have to a mama, aren't I?"  
  
Sarah was apparently done cuddling for the moment. She wiggled out of Abby's arms and plopped herself onto the floor.  
  
Sarah crawled around the coffee table and pulled herself up so she was looking right at Abby. She smiled and, as if she had understood the entire conversation, said, "Mama!" 


	13. Up In Flames

Abby smiled as she watched Carter drop his fork in his lap. His clumsiness had always been one of her favorite qualities in him. He looked up and grinned sheepishly. "The ever-graceful John Carter," Abby giggled.  
  
"I know this is gonna sound awful. . ." he started. "But it feels really good to get out of the house without Sarah. Just have some adult time."  
  
"I know what you mean. I never knew parenting could be so utterly exhausting."  
  
They had left Sarah with a baby-sitter, Jessica. Jessica had said with Sarah many times and Sarah was always very happy to see her.  
  
*********************  
  
Carter and Abby walked hand in hand by the lake in silence. It was a clear night and the full moon provided adequate light. Carter stopped suddenly. "What's wrong?" Abby asked.  
  
"Nothing," he said, pulling her into a kiss. "I just love you, that's all." He kissed her again. "And, um. . .there's something I've been wanting to ask you."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
Carter started walking again. "I know we haven't had the easiest time together. But we've gotten through it. We've gotten through everything. I don't think there's anything else anyone can throw at us."  
  
Abby laughed. "You're probably right."  
  
"I've never known anyone like you Abby. You're my best friend and the love of my life. I wouldn't want to ever be without you." Carter stopped again. "So, um, I was wondering . . ." Carter got down on one knee and pulled a small black box out of his pocket. "Abigail Rose Lockhart . . . will you marry me?"  
  
Abby started to cry. "Yes. Yes. Yes." Carter stood up and placed the ring on Abby's finger. "I love you," she whispered as he hugged her.  
  
*****************  
  
"Maggie's gonna be thrilled," Abby said. She and Carter were on there way back to their apartment. "She's always liked you."  
  
"My dad's gonna be pretty happy too." Carter stopped. "Do you smell that?" he asked.  
  
Abby inhaled. "Smells like something's burning," she said. As they rounded the corner they saw what it was. Their entire building was on fire.  
  
*************  
  
"Sarah! Jessica!" Carter and Abby searched through the crowds of people for their daughter.  
  
"Dr. Carter!" Jessica ran up to them. She was in tears.  
  
Carter placed both hands on Jessica's shoulders. "Jessica, calm down. I need you to tell me where Sarah is."  
  
"I couldn't get her. I tried but they pulled me out. They wouldn't let me get her." Jessica collapsed in tears on the street.  
  
Carter took off running towards the burning building. "Where are you going?" Abby screamed after him.  
  
"To get Sarah!"  
  
Abby stopped. "John, no. Don't go in there, John. Please . . ." but he had already disappeared into the smoke. She ran up to the nearest fireman. "Please, you have to help me," she pleaded. "My boyfriend just ran into the building."  
  
The fireman stared at Abby. "No one's stupid enough to run back into a burning building," he said.  
  
"But our daughter's in there."  
  
This seemed to grab his attention. "I'll try to get them out," he said.  
  
Abby returned to where Jessica was sitting and joined her. "It's OK, Jess," Abby said. "Everything's OK." But it wasn't OK. And she knew that was never going to see Sarah or John alive again.  
  
Eek! See, you'd think that I work all this out before I write it but I don't. I sit at the computer and just let my fingers do whatever they want to. So I don't know what's gonna happen. You'll have to wait and see . . . 


	14. Accusations

Let me just say. . .I'm not going for realism here. Things that happen in this chapter probably couldn't really happen but that's OK. We'll just pretend.  
  
Abby kicked the rubble that once was her home. She didn't see the point in sifting through it. The only two important things she'd ever had were gone. It took the building only half an hour to burn down completely. And in the entire time neither Sarah nor Carter had appeared. Abby was numb. She'd walked around to all the ambulances, looking, and asking for her family.  
  
She sat down in the street. Traffic had been stopped and people were still being pulled from the wreckage. Abby knew that Carter and Sarah's bodies would soon be uncovered. She wasn't sure she wanted to be there when they were but she had nowhere else to go.  
  
She had sent Jessica home. No reason to keep the poor kid here. But Abby's whole life had literally gone up in flames. She realized that she had no photographs of either of them and that's when she started to cry.  
  
But over the noise of the rescue workers she heard something that sounded familiar. A baby was crying. Abby stood up and ran towards the sound. She stopped in front of a bookcase lying on its front. She bent down and tried to pull it up. It wouldn't budge. "Help!" she screamed. "There's someone under here! Help me!" Two rescue workers came running and together they lifted the bookcase off the people trapped under it.  
  
A small mass of brown curls poked up. "Mama," Sarah cried, holding her arms out to Abby.  
  
Abby swept the little girl into her arms and held her tight. "It's OK, sweetie. Mama's here." Still comforting her daughter, Abby turned her eyes back down to where Carter was lying very still.  
  
*************  
  
Carter opened his eyes slowly. He heard people talking but he couldn't see them. He could tell he was in a hospital room. "He must have pulled the bookcase on top of him and Sarah. It saved their lives," a voice was saying. It sounded familiar but Carter couldn't place it with a face. He was too tired . . .  
  
*************  
  
When Carter opened his eyes again the first thing he saw was Susan. She smiled at him. "Welcome back to the land of the living," she said.  
  
"Sarah," he croaked.  
"She's fine," Susan said. "You saved her life."  
  
"Abby?"  
  
"She's fine too. She's on her way up now." Susan's face disappeared from view.  
  
"Hey John," Abby said.  
  
Carter smiled. "Abby."  
  
She kissed his forehead gently. "There's someone here who wants to see you," she said placing Sarah on the bed next to her father.  
  
"Daddy," Sarah giggled.  
  
"Hello Princess. Daddy's coming home soon. I wouldn't miss your birthday for the world . . ." he drifted off again.  
  
**************  
  
"Abby, what's this?" Carter asked as Abby walked into the kitchen of their new apartment. He was holding a bottle of red wine.  
  
Abby's face turned bright red. "That's for Susan's birthday," she said.  
  
"Which would explain why it's hidden under the sink," Carter said.  
  
"I didn't want to tempt myself by keeping it in plane view," she explained.  
  
"Well then why couldn't you buy Susan something else?" he asked, his voice becoming louder.  
  
"Because awhile ago she told me about this wine she had once. She said it was the most divine thing in the entire world. And that's it. The same year and everything."  
  
Carter shook his head. "I can't believe that you'd be drinking again and that you'd LIE to me about it."  
  
He tried to walk past her but she grabbed his arm. He tried to shake her off. "I'm not lying, John. That bottle's for Susan. I can't drink. I'm . . ."  
  
"An alcoholic, Abby. The word you're looking for is alcoholic."  
  
"No. The word I'm looking for is pregnant." 


	15. Worries and Vows

This update is longer than my others. You would have been able to figure that out for yourself but I thought I'd tell you anyway. Keep reviewing!  
  
Carter stared at her in a stunned silence. "Pregnant?" he said finally. Abby nodded. "How. . .when?"  
  
"I just found out this morning," Abby told him. "I didn't wanna tell you until I knew for sure." Then she started to cry.  
  
"Abby, what is it?" He put his arms around her. "I know you're worried that the baby will bipolar but there's such a slim chance that will happen. . ."  
  
"It's not that," Abby sniffed. "It's just that. . ." she paused. "I'm gonna look fat at our wedding!" she wailed.  
  
Carter laughed. "Oh, Abby. Don't be silly. We can get married before you start to show or after the baby's born." He kissed her head. Carter smiled back. "I love you, Abby."  
  
*************  
  
Abby was staring at the blank TV screen when Carter walked through the door. "What's up?" he asked, sitting down next to her.  
  
"Nothing," she said. "Sarah's asleep," she said, smiling.  
  
"Oh really?" Carter asked as he leaned over to kiss her. Abby pulled back. "What?" he asked.  
  
"I've been worrying about something," Abby said. Carter brushed a strand of Abby's hair out of her face. "This new baby. . ." Abby swallowed. "What if. . . oh, John, what if I love the new baby more than I love Sarah?"  
  
"Why would you?" Carter asked.  
  
"Because Sarah's not really mine and this baby will be. I'll carry this baby inside me for nine months, we conceived it, I'll give birth to it, and it'll be part of me."  
  
Carter sighed. "To tell the truth, I've been worrying about the same thing. I've been worrying that I'll show favoritism towards the new baby. But then I saw Sarah this morning and she smiled, held out her arms to me and said 'daddy,' and I realized that I could never love any child more than I love her. And I think the same is true for you. So she's not your flesh and blood. Who cares? You are her mother in everyway except for the one way that doesn't matter." Carter put his arm around Abby. "And she adores you. You can tell by the way she looks at you. And, judging by the way you look at her, you adore her too."  
  
"Yeah, I do," Abby smiled. "She's such a little devil. You know what she did today? I put her down for her nap and then I went to take one also. When I woke up she had climbed out of her crib and was sitting in the kitchen with a colander on her head."  
  
Carter laughed. "Did you get a picture?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
*************  
  
Abby straightened her veil. Maggie smiled at her. "You look so beautiful," Maggie said, tearing up.  
  
"Thanks, Mom." Abby turned to Susan. "I can't believe this is happening," she said.  
  
Susan hugged her. "Me neither."  
  
Abby looked at her father. "You ready, Dad?" she asked.  
  
Larry nodded. "Let's go."  
  
*******************  
  
Carter stood, fidgeting, at the front of the church. "Calm down," Luka whispered.  
  
"I'm nervous," Carter said.  
  
"I can see that."  
  
"Well, you're the best man. Shouldn't you be helping me out right now?" Carter asked.  
  
"I did," Luka said. "I told you to calm down." Carter rolled his eyes. "Look at it this way," Luka said. "You have to stand here for twenty minutes and then you get to spend the rest of your life with the woman you love. Relax. This will all be over before you know it."  
  
As Luka finished speaking the organ started to play. Susan and Rosie, Abby's friend from high school, were walking simultaneously down the aisle wearing rather tasteful lavender dresses. They took their places across from Carter and Luka. Then came Maggie, wearing a blue silk dress she'd made herself. She was carrying Sarah who was smiling and wearing a pink dress, also made by Maggie. Carter straightened up as Abby and Larry started walking down the aisle.  
  
Abby looked beautiful. Her hair was swept up at the nape of her neck and she was wearing a string of pearls. Her dress was made up of a sleeveless red top and a flowing white skirt with a train in the back. Along the train were a few red silk roses. She smiled shyly as she continued towards Carter. When she reached the front of the room she kissed Larry on the check and took Carter's hand. Together they turned towards the minister.  
  
The minister went through the usual stuff about the sanctity of marriage, loyalty, and honesty. Finally, they began their vows.  
  
Abby started. "John, I love you. You've been my best friend since the moment I met you and things have just gotten better since. You saw what I could be and you wouldn't let me be anything less. You've been there for me every time I've ever needed anything. You've saved me from myself and forced me to become the best I could be. I owe you everything but all I can give you is my life and my love." She slide the gold band onto his finger and looked up at him expectantly.  
  
"Abby. . .when I was a kid I used to think about the woman I'd marry. When I said I wanted a wife who was beautiful, smart, funny, and caring I never imagined I'd find someone who is the embodiment of all those things. The first time I saw you I knew that you not someone to cross. And I was right. You do your own thing, dance to your own beat, and you never let anyone get in your way. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met and I love you with all my heart." He placed the ring on her finger and they smiled at each other.  
  
"And now," the minister said. "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." 


	16. Erica

Abby gasped and put her hand on her stomach. She looked at the clock. It was 5:30 in the morning. She looked over at Carter who was fast asleep. He'd just worked a double shift and Abby really didn't want to wake him. She was about to go back to sleep when she felt another contraction. And her water broke. She had to wake him.  
  
Gently, she shook his shoulder. "John," she whispered.  
  
"50 CCs of lidocane," he said. Then he opened his eyes. "What is it?"  
  
"My water broke."  
  
Carter sat bolt up right in bed. "Really? Just now? Stay there, don't move." Abby sat and watched as Carter rushed around the house. He called Susan who came over to stay with Sarah and then they were on their way to the hospital.  
  
******************  
  
"I WANT IT OUTTA ME!!!!!!!!!" Abby screamed. Four hours later and the baby still had not moved.  
  
Carter was holding her hand. "You're doing good, sweetie. It's OK."  
  
"IT'S NOT OK!" Abby hollered. "IT HURTS!!!!!"  
  
Tears were pouring down her face. Carter wasn't sure if they were tears of frustration or of pain. Either way, seeing her cry broke his heart. "I know it hurts, honey but just think, in a few hours we'll have a new baby."  
  
Abby sobbed harder.  
  
*******************  
  
Abby yawned. She had just spent the last ten hours in labor and she was exhausted. She looked over to where Carter was fast asleep in a chair. He must have been tired too. He'd been holding her hand and helping her the entire time. And now there was a new life in the world. Just because of them. Abby smiled down at the baby in her arms.  
  
Susan and Sarah came into the room. "Mommy," Sarah said happily. She ran up to the edge of Abby's bed. "Where's Daddy?" Abby pointed to Carter. Sarah pounced on him.  
  
"Oof," Carter said as the little girl bounced on his stomach.  
  
"Hi Daddy!"  
  
"Hi Sarah."  
  
Susan laughed. "What a family . . . so let's see this new little one." Susan bent over so she could get a better look at the baby. "Oh, Abby, she's gorgeous. She's so tiny."  
  
"Five pounds, three ounces," Carter said standing up and coming over to the bed. "She is beautiful though, isn't she?"  
  
"Not that you're biased or anything," Susan teased.  
  
"Not at all," Carter said, grinning.  
  
"Is it a girl?" Sarah asked. Abby nodded. "What's her name?"  
  
"She's so smart," Susan said. "Right away she asks the important questions."  
  
"Her name is Erica Millicent Carter," Abby said. Abby and Carter had decided to name the baby after Eric and Gamma.  
  
"Erica," Sarah said, trying the name out. She was two years old now, and had been so excited about the new baby. "Hi Erica," she said and smiled up at Abby.  
  
Abby smiled back. "You're gonna be a great big sister, aren't you?"  
  
Sarah nodded. "Yes, Mommy."  
  
***************  
  
Abby smiled down at her two-week old daughter. "You grow so fast, Erica," she said. The baby gurgled. She heard a knock at the door and quickly finished changing Erica's diaper. "Let's go see who's at the door," she cooed, lifting the baby into her arms. She opened the door and almost dropped the baby in surprise. "Oh my God." 


	17. Happy Endings

Carter laughed. "Surprised?" he asked.  
  
"That's a puppy," Abby said.  
  
Carter glanced down at the squirming dog in his arms. "Yeah. I thought it'd be nice.we could be the average American family with 2.4 kids and a golden retriever named Jake."  
  
Abby made a face. "Do we have to call it Jake?"  
  
"No. It's actually a girl." Carter laughed again.  
  
"John. . ." Abby said, hesitantly. "We don't really have enough room for a dog."  
  
"I know," Carter said. "That's why I bought a house."  
  
"WHAT!?!!"  
  
"You 'member that house we drove buy a couple weeks ago with the front porch and shutters? Well, you said you loved it so. . .I bought it."  
  
Abby shook her head. "I can't believe you." She grinned at him. "I never imagined I'd ever be a part of anything that would be classified as 'average.'"  
  
"Well, congratulations, Abby. You've achieved normality."  
  
Sorry this was so short and stupid. I got sick of the story and I'm really only good at beginnings.not ends. Anyway, I hope it wasn't too horrible. I might right another fic soon; hopefully it'll be better than this one with more development, more talking, and less corny. Always happy endings, though. 


End file.
